chalmers



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. GHALMERS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented June 2, 1885 N, Prints, PhMc-Limognphar, wnuflwun. n. c.

(No Model.) 4 SheeLs-Sheet 2. G. CHALMERS.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 319,067. Patented June 2, 1885.

(No Model.)

4 SheetsSheet 3. G. GHALMERS.

RAILWAY SWITGH.

No. 319,067. Patented June 2, 1885.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. G. GHALMEBS.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

FlGJO. Pate'n ed June 2, 1885.

N. PETERS. PnaKvhlhognphflr. Walhinglon. u c.

views showing the different positions of the UNITED Srafrns Parnivr RAiLwAv SWITCH.

jAII-CZI farming part of Letters Patent No. 319,067, dated June 2, 1885.

Application tiled April 14, 15%. (X model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, Gnonon Cniimimzs, of San Juan, county of San Benito, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Railway-Switches; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion thereof.

My invention relates to a new and useful railway-switch of that class in which lovers in the roadbed are operated by suitable devices on the passing locomotive to throw the switchrails into or out of connection with the main or side track.

My invention consists in a novel arrangement and construction of the levers in the road-bed, and in their connection with the throw or switch rails, in details of construction connected therewith, and in the novel arrangement of devices on the locomotive by which said levers are operated, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide a track s.

simple and effective automatic railway-switch.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of the road-bed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the lever F with surrounding parts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the engagement of lever I with the tie-bar of the throw-rails. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line :0 x of Fig. 3, showing the means by which the throw-rails are ing them. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective showing the engagementof lever I with the tie-rod c. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the comotive and a section on line 3 y, Fig. 7, showing the casing O in section to reveal the devices contained within it. Fig. 7 is abottom view of the casing O and locomotive. Fig. 8 is a top view of same. Fig. 9 is across section on iine 1 2 of Fig. 6, showing the leg 1 with its feet H. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are feet and the mechanisms for operating said feet.

A is the road-bed. Pi' is the main track, and C the intervening throwrails.

D is the right-hand side track, and E is the left-hand side track.

In the roadbed at a suitable distance from the throw-rails is pivoted by one end a long lever, F, having a spear-likc shape in superficial area. It lies parallel with the rails, and is bent near its. pivoted end in such manner that it lies above and clear of the road-bed. On each side of the lever is a raised guide-bar, G, and between these the lever moves.

H is a T-shaped lever pivoted at the center of its arms in the road-bed under the point of lever F. Its leg portion is bent upward under the body of F, and is secured thereto by means of a stud, f, on leverF passing through it. The movement of lever F turns lever H onits pivot. Pivoted in the road-bed beyond the free ends of the throw-rails is a lever, I, having arms 2' at right angles. The free end of lever I is connected with a tie-bar, c, between the throw-rails. Rods J connect the arms 71 of lever I with the arms of lever II, whereby the movement of the latter lever, as heretofore described, transmits motion to lever I with such effect that the rails G are thrown into connection with the main or side In the road-bed farther on are the parts which operate to throw rails from the opposite direction. These consist of the spear-like lever F',arranged in the main track,

I the parallel side guide-rails, G, the T-shaped lever II, united with lever F by a stud, and

i the rods J, connecting the arms of lever II with those of lever I. All these parts are arranged and operate similarly to their equivalent or corresponding parts already described.

There are some details of construction in connection with the devices described which itwill be well to mention at this point.

In order to obtain a greater or less leverage in the conn ection between the levers F F and the levers H II, the legs of the latter are slotted in order that the studs may be moved therein, and the levers F F are provided at their bases with a series of holes, a a, whereby they are adapted to slide or move on levers H H to the required point, and be again pivoted to the road-bed, Fig. 2.

In order to temporarily lock thethrow-rails G where adjusted, the tiebar c is provided on its under side with a rib, c. This is adapted to drop into sockets 1), formed in a box in the road-bed under the tie-bar, and so spaced as to correspond to the movement of the throwrails, Fig. 4. The rib 0" is raised out of the sockets both by reason of their beveled sides and by the following device: Upon the center of the tie-bar is an upright arm, 0", having a wide notch in its top, Figs. 4, 5. To this arm is pivoted a strip, d, having oppositely-ex tending legs (1, in the ends of which are mounted wheels or rollers (7.", which travel on a suitable base or track in theroad-bed, Fig. 4. The end of lever I passes through the top of strip d, above its pivot-point 6, and extends within the wide notch of arm c". When the lever is moved, its first effect is to throw the top of strip d over to one side, thus throwing its roller d on that side down against the track on which it runs, and by hearing on it raises the tie-rod 0 and throw-rails 0, thus lifting the rib 0 out of the socket.

The following power of the lever I is directed against the notched arm 0 (which momentarily it did not affect because of its notch being enough wider than the end of the lever 1,) and thus moves the throw-rails nntilthe rib 0 under the tie-rod comes to and drops into the next socket b. I have also provided for operating the throw-rails by hand.

K is the switch-lever connected by arod, It, with a cross-bar, 7c, secured to the lever I.

I shall now describe the mechanism on the locomotive by which the levers F F are engaged tooperate the switch.

L isthe locomotive. Under the cab is mounted a rock-shaft, M, to which is connected a lever, N, extending upward within the cab. This lever is adapted to engage with a rack, N, having three notches'to wit, a central one, and one at each end, Fig. 6. From the ceuter of shaft M extendsa crank-arm, m. Under the locomotive is bolted a casing or frame, 0, having an open top and a closed bottom, through the forward portion of which, at each edge, are made holes 0, and similar holes, 0, though larger, are made through said bottom near its rear portion. The ends of the casing serve as exterior end walls for these holes, and a solid center to the casing serves as interior end walls. The sides of easing serve as exterior side walls for them, and a vertical partition between the rear holes serves as inner side walls for said rear holes, but the forward holes have no dividing-wall other than the floor of the casing. These holes thus practically become passages for guiding the legs and feet, hereinafter described.

Mounted transversely in the rear top of the casing is a shaft, P, on which are pivoted arms, the arms Q Q on the right and left hand sides, respectively,viewing them from the cab, Fig. 8. To the forward ends of these arms are pivoted the stems or legs It R, respectively,extending each downwardly through the rear passages, 0, their feet r r being adapted to project through said passages, Figs. 6, 7, 8. These feet are made oval or elliptical in shape, as shown.

Pivoted at 5, between the sidesof the casing, more toward the front. is a wide lever,

S, to the forwardend of which is pivoted a leg, T, terminating in two feet, t, which are adapted to project through the forward holes or passages, 0, Figs. 7, 9.

Extending from the rear of lever Sis an This shaft has three cranksone near each:

end and a centralone. Theend ones, a, are one hundred and eighty degrees apart, and the central one, a, is between them, being ninety degrees fronreach, Fig. 8. The end cranks pass through the slotted arms Q Q, and the center crank passes through theslottcd arm 8. A rod, V, joins the central crank with the cranlrarm m of the rocking shaft M, Fig. 6. v

The operation of these devices is as follows: \Vhen the lever Nin the cab is pulled back to the rearmost notch of its engaging-rack, the left-hand foot r is projected through its passage and extends below the casing. The righthand .foot 1' is withdrawn within its passage to its uppermost limit, and the forward feet, t, are also withdrawn. Move the lever toiits central notch. The lefthand foot r is withdrawn-to lie flush with the=bottom of the cas ing, the right-hand foot r is moved down to lie flush with the bottomof the casing, and

the forward feet, t, are projectedthrough holes I 0 and extend below the casing. Move the lever N to its forward notch. The left-hand foot 7" is withdrawn to its inner limit, the righthand foot '2' is projected below the casing, and the forward feet, t, are withdrawn. The relation of these feet to the devices heretefore described in the road-bed and their operation in connection therewith, I will now describe.

The forward feet, t, are made narrow, so as i to be able to pass between the edges of the levers F F audthe side guidebars, GG, and they are separated by such a distance that when so passing they force the said levers into a perfectly-straight position and leave them parallel with the rails.

the switch-rails straight, so that they connect with the main track. Vhen these feet are thrown down forsuch engagement, the rear feet are bot-h withdrawn, as will be seenzby reference to the previous description, and they do not therefore interfere. The rear feet are each made wider than the forward feet, and of such width that when either of them passes between the edge of levers F Fand the guidebar it forces said levers beyond a straight line over to the other side, leaving them in an inclined position and 'the throw-rails in connection with either side track, according to the side to which the levers are forced; and by reference to the previous description it will be seen that when one of these rear feet is projected for'its engagement the other is withdrawn,and when either is projected theforward feet are withdrawn. The oval shape of the feet This position of the levers straightens the levers H H and throws and the spear-like shapeof the levers permit an easy and accurate engagement. 'When the locomotive is passing the stretch of road between the two levers, and it is desired to keep the locomotive to the main track, but to leave the switch set for the siding, such feet can be projected to engage with the lever to which the locomotive is approaching as are necessary to leave the switch in such desired position; but in case the locomotive is to go off on one of the side tracks, and it is desired that it should leave the switch set for the main track, then it is obvious that such feet as I have heretofore described will be carried out of relation with the lever and will not engage with it to operate it. The necessity for this result of leaving the switch set for the main track when the locomotive has taken the siding is quite frequent in making up trains, where the locomotive runs onto the siding and has to let the cars follow on the main track. To accomplish this I have the following means: Secured to the sides of the locomotive are downwardlyprojecting plates V, the lower ends of which are bolted to the sides of the casing O. A space is left between the plates and the sides of the casing, in which are pivoted curved bars or levers X X, the downturned ends of which are formed into feet x x, the foot 00 being on the right and the foot 00 on the left hand side when viewed from the cab. The right-hand bar X has pivoted to it, behind its pivotpoint, a link, Y, extending upwardly and pivoted to the lower end of a link, Z,the upper end of which is pivoted to the inner side of the frame of the locomotive, Fig. 6. This link Zisinclined toward the front from its top to bottom. Thelefthand bar X has pivoted to it, behind its pivotpoint, a link, Y, extending upwardly and pivoted to the lower end of a link, Z, pivoted at its upper end. This link is inclined in a direction opposite to the link 55, Fig. 8. Secured to the crank-arm m of the rocking shaft M are the rods A A, the former extending to and engaging with a stud, 1, projeciing inwardly from the top of link Y, and the latter extending to and engaging with a stud, 3/, on the link Y, Fig. 8. On account of the different inclinations of the links Z Z the effect of the rocking shaft is to raise the foot a: while depressing the foot as, and vice versa. In the ends of the rods A A are elongated slots by which they fit over the studs y 31, whereby they are made to operate the feet a: a" only on the extreme movements of the lever N-that is to say, when the lever is moving along the central portion of its stroke the rods A A slip along on the studs without engaging them, and only operate on them to move the feet a m on the ends of the stroke. The reason for this is that if either of said feet were forced down to operate by the lever at its central position, the front feet, it, being also forced down by the lever in that position, would be in the way of the lever in the road-bed, and it could not move. And, again, the arrangement is such that the left-hand side foot is forced down to operate at that extreme of the lever-stroke which forces down the right-hand rear foot 1-, which, being over to one side, does not interfere with the movement of the lever in the road-bed, and for the same reason the righthand side foot a is forced down when the left hand rear foot 9* is projected. The side feet are in such position that when projected they are adapted to operate the lever F, as do the other feet, and they are far enough over to operate it when the locomotive is on the siding. They are of such width as to straighten the lever F, and throw the switch over to the main track from either siding.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In a railwayswitch, the combination of the horizontal levers F F, pivoted in the roadbed, the T-sliaped levers H H, pivoted in the road-bed and to the levers F F, the lever I, pivoted in the road bed and connected with the throw-rails of the track, said lever having arms 1', the rods J J, connecting the arms of the levers H H with the arms t, and suitable devices on the locomotive for moving said levers F F, whereby power is transmitted through levers H H, rods J J, and lever I to move the throw-rails into connection with the main or side tracks, substantially as herein described.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of the horizontal spear-likeshaped levers F F, pivoted in the road -bed, the parallel side guide-bars, G G, on each side of said levers, the pivoted T shaped levers H H, connected with levers F F, the pivoted lever I, having arms i, and connected with the throwrails, therods J J, connecting levers H H and lever I, and suitable projections or feet on the locomotive adapted to pass between either or both edges of the levers F F, and the guide-bars G G, whereby said levers are moved to transmit power to move the throw-rails into connection with the main or side tracks, substantially as herein described.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination of the horizontal levers F F, having the series of holes a a, by which they are pivoted and adjusted in the road-bed, the studs f, and the pivoted T- shaped levers H H, having slotted legs, through which the studs f fit, and in which they are adapted to be moved or adjusted, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. In a railway-switch, the throw-rails 0, having the tie-rod c, with a transverse rib, c, and the series of spaced sockets b in the road bed under the tie-rod, and into which the rib c is adapted to fit, in combination with the pivoted horizontally-swinging lever Land the connection between said lever and tic-rod whereby the throwrails are moved sidewise, and the rib of their tie-rod fitted in the different sockets, consisting of the upright arm c on the tiered, having a notched top in which the end of lever I plays, the piece (1, pivoted to the upright arrn,and through whose top thelever I passes, and the wheeled legs d on the base of said pivoted piece, all arranged and operatingsubst-antially as and for the purpose herein described.

5. In a railway switch, the horizontallyswinging and adjustable levers F F in the road-bed,connected with and adapted to operate by their movement the throw'rails, in combination with the pair of vertically-adjustable feet 15 under the locomotive,adapted to pass on each side of and impinge against the edges of levers F F to move them to a straight position parallel with the tracks, whereby the switch-rails are thrown into connection with the main track, and a lever, N, and its connections for operating the feet, substantially as herein described. v

6. In a railway-switch, the horizontallyswinging and adjustable levers F F in the road-bed,connected with and adapted to operate by their movement the throw-rails, in. combination with the pair of narrow feet tand wider feet r 1* under the locomotive, and a lever and series of arms on said locomotive, adapted to alternately force downward said feet to engage with the levers F F, whereby they are forced to a straight or inclined position to eitherside to connect the throw-rails with the main track or either side track, substantially as herein described.

7. In ar'ailway-switch, the adjustable spearshaped levers F F, pivoted in the road-bed and connected by rods J J, and side guide bars, G G, in combination with the verticallyadjustable oval or elliptical feet under the locomotive, adapted to enter and pass between said levers and bars to move the levers, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

8. In a railway-switch in which the switchrails are adapted to be moved by suitable levers in the road-bed, the feet 7* r on the locomotive, adapted to engage with and operate said levers to move the switch-rails to the side tracks, in combination with the mechanism for alternately projecting said feet to their engagement, consisting of the pivoted slotted arms Q Q, connected with the legs of the feet 7" 0*, respectively, the crank-shaft U, having oppositely extending cranks u u, engaging with the slotted arms, the rock-shaft M, havcrank-arm m, rod V, connecting said arm with thecrank-shaft U and the lever N in the cab of the locomotive, substantially as herein described.

9. In a railwayswitch in which the throwrails areiadapted to be moved by suitable levers in the road-bed, the combination of the pair of feet ion the locomotive adapted to engage with and operate the levers to move the throw-rails to the main track, and the mechanism for projecting said feet to their engagement and withdrawing them therefrom, consisting of the pivoted lever S, pivoted to the leg of the feet 25, and having the curved slotted arm 8, the shaft U, having crank c engaging with said slotted arm, the rock-shaft M, having crank-arm m, rod V, connecting said arm with crank u, and the leverN, substantially as herein described.

10. In a railway-switch in which the throw rails are adaptedto be moved by suitable le-,

vers in the road-bed, the combinationof, the

pair of feet 15 and the feet r r on the locomotivc, adapted to engage with and operate said the slotted curved arm 8, the pivoted slotted,

arms Q Q, connected, respeetivelyg'with the legs of feet r r, the shaft U, having the oppositely-extending cranks to, engaging with the slotted arms Q Q, and the intervening crank, to, engaging with the slotted arm 8, the rock,- shaft M, having crank-arm m, the-rodV, connecting said arm with crank it and the lever N in the cab, substantially as herein described.

11. In a railway-switch, the combination, with thelever F in the road-bed,for operating the throw-rails, of the side feet; a; w, on the locomotive, adapted to engage saidlever F from aside trackto throwthe switch-rails to the main track, and. mechanism, as described, for alternately projecting or with-: drawing said feet to or from their=engagemerit, substantially as herein specified.

12. In a railway-switch, the combinationof the lever F in the road-bed, by which the throw-rails are: adapted to be operatedpthe side feet, w x, on the locomotive, adapted to engage said lever F froma side track to throw the switch-rails to the main track, and the, mechanism for alternately projecting or with drawing said feet from their engagement,

consisting of the pivoted curved bars X X, 4

to which said feet are joined,the pivotedlinks Y Y, and oppositely-inclined pivoted links Z Z, the rock-shaft M, having crank-arm m, connecting-rods A A joining said arm with the links Y Y, and the lever Nin the cab, substantially as herein described.

13. In a railway-switch in which the throw rails are adapted to be operated by a lever, F, in the road-bed, the combination of the alternately-adjustable feett r onthe locomotive for engaging said lever from the main track, the side feet, a: x, on the locomotive,

adapted to engage with said lever from a side track, in combination with the mechanism-by which said feet 1 o'racw are projected or withdrawn to or from their engagement to prevent interference one with the other, as described,:

consisting of the pivotedlever S, connected I with the leg of feett, and having the slotted arm 8, the pivoted slotted arms Q Q, connected withthc legs of feet r 1", respectively, the crank-shaft U, having cranks u a u= engaging with slotted arms 8 Q Q, the pivoted curved bars X X, to which 3 the feet x-w are joined, the pivoted links Y Y, having studs I In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 10 y y, the oppositely-inclined pivoted links Z hand. 5 Z, the rock-shaft M, having crank-arm m, the rod V, connecting said arm with crank it, GEORGE CHALMERS.

5 and the rods A A connected with said arm,

and slotted on the studs y y of linksY Y and Witnesses:

the main lever N in the cab, all arranged and C. D. COLE, operating substantially as and forthe purpose J. H. BLOOD. herein described. 

